Tuesday, 27 January 2009

2 1/2 for January!

I made two pair of Spiraling Socks for a charity called Warm Woolies. They send wool items to orphanages in eastern Europe and to Indian reservaqtions in the USA. They want socks thick and warm, as many of these children only have plastic sandals to wear. I used two strands of sock yarn (all the leftovers from previous socks) and #6 needles, so they are a thick worsted weight. Oh, and way fewer stitches, of course.I think they turned out pretty cute. The half-done ones are being knitted in the Speedway pattern from a Knit Picks sock blank I hand painted. Some friends and I got together and had a blast even though we had no idea what we were doing. A sock blank, by the way, is a long rectangle knit in stockinette stitch with two strands of sock yarn. You dye it and then knit two socks at a time directly from it, unravelling as you go. Both socks come out the same. I hope to have them finished by the deadline, but I wanted to show the sock blank I started from as well. I have one more dyed blank, completely different from this one. Maybe for Frebruary's socks?

I was worried that knitting with curly yarn would be difficult, but it isn't a problem at all. I also wondered if it would look crimped in the sock and would need to be washed and blocked, but no problem there either.

Once you have made your choice, please e-mail either Anni or Tama and let them know that you have chosen your prize from their shop and which yarn you have chosen. Make sure you include your shipping address.